Surf Excel crosses $1 billion in sales: A sparkling brand journey

Sales have risen 32% despite inflation thanks to the popularity of its Rs 10 packs

by exchange4media Staff
Published: Feb 17, 2023 1:20 PM | 2 min read

Hindustan Unilever's Surf Excel has scripted history by becoming the first Indian brand to cross $1 billion or Rs 8200 crore in annual sales in 2022. It is also the first HUL brand to achieve this milestone.

Deepak Subramanium, the executive director of home care at HUL, says that the feat was achieved with the "premiumisation" of the segment with liquid detergents and fabric conditioners.

In another win for the brand, sales have risen 32% despite inflation thanks to the popularity of its Rs 10 packs.

Spotless brand journey

The brand was originally called just Surf and was launched in 1959 in India by Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL). Originally, it was presented as a fuss-free alternative for messy washing soap. Over the years, the brand has reinvented itself from the humble powder form to the more contemporary liquid form.

It soon became synonymous with detergents in India and was ruling the marketing until Nirma's advent in 1969.

To counter the stiff competition from the value-for-money brand Nirma, Surf launched the 'Lalitaji' campaign to drive home the importance of quality over price.
The character Lalitaji was modelled after the Indian housewife who always wanted to make prudent financial choices, choosing the "achi cheez" over the "sasti cheez." The ads showcased the brand as a product that can be used sparingly yet effectively.

In 1992, Surf was reborn as Surf Excel to counter the onslaught by P&G's Ariel. Lataji was slowly becoming redundant and customers were ready to pay the premium for better stain removal. The brand was further diversified into Surf Excel Blue and Surf Excelmatic.

In 2004, the great pricing war between HLL and P&G led to the latter drastically reducing the prices of Ariel and Tide. HLL couldn't catch up, so it decided to retaliate through a campaign to build an emotional connection with the audience.

The endearing "Daag Ache Hain" campaign took off in 2006, proving to be one of the most iconic and impactful brand campaigns of recent times.